Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very good time; behold, now is the day of redemption.-(2 Cor 6:1-2)
God is good, all the time.
Friends, at the turn of each year, Mother Church gives her children a day to mark ourselves with ashes. This ancient practice of using ashes recorded in several books in the Old Testament has been kept because of the meaning it attains in Christianity.
Though the basic, traditional meaning of using ashes is to express the willingness to repent from one's sins, in Christianity, it is more than as it reminds us that we are human; so, we need the grace of God to assist us. It is also a reminder of the mortality that is our nature and, which will culminate in dying and rising again; it is our calling in life then to pay attention to our relationship and remember our Creator in the days of our lives.
Both Jesus and Saint Paul urge us to put aside pride and self-service and be open to God’s help and grace in our lives. We have the chance to “be reconciled to God" through worthy practices of prayer, fasting, and giving to please and honor the Father "who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."
Ash Wednesday comes again to remind us that Jesus can transform us with his love. God is seeking us to offer us his favor; it is a time of grace and salvation for us. May God give us the courage to press ahead to the goal of Lent and thereby also attain its blessings for our lives. Amen.